Device for the automatic operation of typewriters and the like



April 8 1924.

HHH

1,489,535 M. LEBEIS.

DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC OPERATION OF TYPE WRITERS AND THE LIKE Filed June 4, 1923 a-1 6 1-11' -16 v=2'1 b-Z g-7 m-12 r-17,w -22 0'3 h'B "'138I18XI23 d-4 i-s 0-14 t 19y=-24 e-5 k-10 p-15 u-zo'z-zs FIL a a a I 1 4| m 3 -"va I 7 I l l 1 f f T T a b '2 K k W abcdefqhiklmnopqrstuvwxyz L Z-i 102 III III I n=13 flyiabcdefqhiklmnopqrstuvw xyz nInvqnZOI' Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,489,535 PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN LEBEIS, or BERLIN-FRIEDENAU GERMANY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN MENTS, TO NAAMLOOZE VENNOOTSCHAP MACHINA MAATSCHAPPIJ' VOOR HAN- DEL EN INDUSTRIE, OF AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS. i

DEVICE FOR THEAUTOMATIC OPERATION OF TYPEWRITERS AND LIKE.

Application filed June 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN LE'BEIs, a'citizen of the German Republic, residing at Berlin-Friedenau, Germany, have invented certain Improvements Relating to Devices for the Automatic Operation of Typewriters and the like, for which I have filed applications in Germany on July 11th, 1921, and in Great Britain on April 14th, 1923, and of which the following is a specification.

Typewriters, type-printing telegraphs, statistical. machines and the like are automatically operated by means of perforated ribbons or the like the apertures of which are ordinarily grouped arbitrarily according to mutual agreements. arrangement of apertures involves as a rule a complicated mechanism for operating the typewriter.

The object of the present invention is to provide a systematic grouping of the apertures by the employment of which the operating mechanism can be considerably simplitied, and the invention consists in arranging the apertures in rows and grouping them transversely across said rows so that, when a certain numerical value is assigned to the apertures in each particular row, the added values of each group of apertures will be equal to the numerical position occupied by the type sign in a range of such signs.

By this arrangement-a very simple mechanism will be sufficient for selecting the corresponding sign on the typewriter for print- Fig. 1 of the accom anying drawings is a diagram showing the etters of the alphabet together with the number of the position they occupy in the order, and

Fig. 2', a diagram showing an example of aperture group ng to represent the letters.

ments for selecting the letters on the ty ewriter, the values of the aperture rows bemg different from that of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of t e mechanical elements in use, and

Fig. 5, a diagram showing the grouping of the a erturcs to represent the various letters of t e alphabet according to the value.- tion system shown in Fig. 3.

In the system according to Flg. 2, five longitudinal rows of a ertures are employed and these are given t e values 1, 2, 3, 7 and This arbitrary IV each longitudinal rows can Fig. 3 1s a view showing mechanical ele- 1923. Serial is. 643,360.

14 respectively. Letters and signs are represented on the ribbon either by single apertures or by transverse rows of apertures in difi'erent groupings. The number and the position of the apertures in the transverse rows are determined by the values of the longitudinal rows and by the number given to each particular letter or sign. If the letters of the alphabet, bered consecutively, as shown in Fig. 1, the apertures for any particular letter are grouped so that the values of their positions, when added, equal. the number of the latter.

Thus, in the case of 2, whose number is 25, there will be apertures in the lines I, III, and V whose values 1+3+7+14='25. The letter a is represented by a single aperture in the longitudinal row I, the letter b by a single aperture in the line II. \Vhen a large number of signs are in use, the valuation of the longitudinal rows should be chosen so that the greatest number of signs canbe'expressed in the smallest number of longitudinal rows. pose it is essential that the number of each sign should only be obtainable by a single combination of apertures. In Fig. 2, for instance,- the letter k whose number is 10, can be expressed either by the employment For this pur of the rows III and IV or the rows I, II I and IV, the number either case. tions would fluous.

An ideal valuation system is obtained if the values of the rows are increased in geometrical progression with 2 as the constant ratio, as'shown in Fig. 5 In this case transverse combinatlon of apertures will represent a definite number, and the be utilized to their full extent, the possibilities being in each case 2, where n is the number of longitudinal rows employed.

The mechanical elements for operating the typewriter may take the form of bars, one for each longitudinal row, of a length corresponding to the value of the rows. This is shown in Fig. 3, each succeeding bar-being twice the length of the precedingone or as long as the preceding bars added together plus the first bar. Fig. 4 shows the bars in operation and set for rinting the letter n whose number is 13. 1 ratchet rack 101 car- 10 being obtained in Thus one of these combinahave to be discarded as superrying the types and having teeth which are spaced in conformity with the types, is operated b means of a reciprocating pawl 102 which sides on the bars. The bars are set in the usual manner, electrically or mechanirack 101 will be advanced by 13 teeth, and

the letter n will be brought to the printing position at E.

In the case of a rotary machine with circular instead of longitudinal rows, the values would be expressed by angles instead of lengths.

I claim 1. In a device for the automatic operation of typewriters, type-printing telegraphs and the like, a selecting element having apertures arranged in rows and grouped transversely across said rows so that, when a certain numerical value is assigned to the apertures in each particular row, the added values of each group of apertures is equal to the urn merical position occupied by a type sign in a range of such signs.

2. In a device for the automatic operation of typewriters, type-printing telegraphs and the like, a selecting element having apertures arranged in rows and grouped transversely across said rows so that, when values which increase in geometrical progression, are assigned to the apertures in the different rows, the added values of each group of apertures is equal to the numerical position 'occupiedbyta type sign in a range of such signs.

3. In a device for the automatic operation of typewriters, type-printing telegraphs and the like, a selecting element having apertures arranged in rows and grouped transversely across said rows so that, when a numerical value is assigned to the apertures in each particular row, the added'values of each group of apertures is equal to the numerical position occupied by a type sign in a range of such signs, and a setting element for each row of apertures, said setting element being constructed so as to induce a setting movement corresponding to the numerical values of the respective rows of apertures.

MARTIN LEBEIS. 

